Removable comfort safety wing for use with a sideshield

ABSTRACT

A sideshield eye protector is presented which includes a comfort and safety wing that is formed as a surface appendage thereon, and extends in a generally perpendicular direction from the surface of the sideshield along the contoured edge of the sideshield positioned closest to the wearer&#39;s face. The comfort and safety wing may be integral to the sideshield forming an integral structure therewith or removably attached thereto. The comfort and safety wing is oriented generally parallel with the facial surfaces and generally follows the proximate facial contours. A separate wing portion may be fabricated on both the upper and lower parts of each sideshield, the upper wing portion extending from the upper contoured edge of the sideshield which provides additional coverage over the upper portion of the eye orbits, temple and lower forehead area. The lower face about the lower eye orbit and upper cheek area has a generally parallel orientation with those facial surfaces.

This application is a division of U.S. patent application Ser. No.10/355,702 filed Jan. 31, 2003, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,832,389 which isincorporated in its entirety herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates in general to safety glasses which provideprotection for the eyes from missiles originating from a frontaldirection. More particularly, the present invention relates to eyewearwith sideshield protection for reducing instances of eye injury frommissiles originating from a lateral direction to the wearer. Still moreparticularly, the present invention relates to sideshield protection forreducing discomfort to the wearer from objects striking the eyewear.

2. Description of Related Art

Safety glasses are well known in the prior art and are used to protectthe eyes of an individual from airborne particles, high-velocityprojectiles, wind, and the like. As used herein, and by those skilled inthe art, the terms “safety glasses” or “eyeshields” typically mean aprotective barrier in front of the eye. A “sideshield,” on the otherhand, typically means a protective barrier to the side, above or belowthe eye which normally supplements safety glasses.

One relatively popular form of eye protection which incorporates sideprotection is commonly referred to as a “cover goggle.” Generally, covergoggles are comprised of a soft plastic frame and a somewhat moreresilient plastic mono lens. The cover goggles are usually held in placeon the wearer's head by means of an elastic strap. Cover goggles can beworn as stand-alone eye protection or, advantageously, may be worn overstandard prescription eyeglasses. An example of cover goggles is U.S.Pat. No. 2,422,534 to J. E. Du Bois titled “Eye Shield” which isincorporated herein by reference in its entirity.

As those skilled in the art of eyeglass and side shield manufacture areaware, the basic shapes of eyeglass frames are derived from a marketwhich is fashion oriented and driven. Thus, cover goggles, while beingan effective eye safety device, often go unused even when readilyavailable due to the wearer's sense of fashion and vanity.

On the other hand, standard eyewear that incorporates safety sideshieldsare less bulky and intrusive for the user, and often more importantly tothe user, present less of a fashion faux pas. Examples of sideshieldsfor typical eyewear can be found in the following U.S. patents, eachincorporated herein in their entirety: U.S. Pat. No. 5,748,278 issuedMay 5, 1998 to Bennie F. Simmons, Sr. and titled “Eyeglass Shield forRemovable Attachment to Eyeglass Lens Frames”; U.S. Pat. No. 6,393,609issued May 28, 2002 to Bennie F. Simmons, Sr. and titled “ProtectiveSideshield Removably Attachable to an Eyeglass Frame”; U.S. Pat. No.5,798,815 issued Aug. 25, 1998 and corresponding U.S. Reissue Pat. No.RE37,530 E issued Jan. 29, 2002, both to Hirschman et al. and titled“Method and Kit for Attaching Side Shields to Eyeglass Temples”; U.S.Pat. No. 5,548,351 issued Aug. 20, 1996 to Hirschman et al. and titled“Method and Kit for Attaching Side Shields to Eyeglass Temples”; U.S.Pat. No. 5,781,271 issued Jul. 14, 1998 to Richard R. Wheeler and titled“Portable Safety Sideshields for Eye Glasses”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,608,469issued on Mar. 4, 1997 to Maurice J. G. Bollé titled “Sunglasses withRemovable Side Shields”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,402,189 issued Mar. 28, 1995 toVicki L. Gill titled “Side Shield for Eyeglasses and Method of Makingthe Same”; U.S. Pat. No. 4,726,075 issued Feb. 23, 1988 to Matthew T.Hinrichs and titled “Disposable Side Shield for Eyeglasses”; U.S. Pat.No. 3,165,754 issued Jan. 19, 1965 to Rodgers et al. and titled “SideShield Mounting for Spectacles”; U.S. Pat. No. 2,900,639 issued Aug. 25,1959 to E. P. Lindstrom and titled “Spectacle Attachment”; U.S. Pat. No.2,840,821 issued Jul. 1, 1958 to Gay, Jr. et al. and titled “Side ShieldAttachment for Goggles and Spectacles”; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,062,688issued May 16, 2000 to Joseph F. Vinas and titled “Detachable EyeglassFoam Shield.”

As may be apparent from the sideshields described in theabove-identified patents, sideshields may be of various types. Forexample, some are permanently attached to the eyeglass frames andprovide reasonable protection for the top, side, and bottom of the eye.Permanent sideshields have the advantage of being custom designed foraccommodating a particular type of eyewear and offer the user anacceptable measure of protection, but usually little in the way ofstyle. However, sideshields need not be permanently affixed to eyewearbut instead may be temporary and removable. Removable sideshields arecapable of being stored when not in use while the user may continue towear the eyewear in a location not necessitating the use of safetysideshields. Removable sideshields have the advantage of beingselectively affixed to the eyewear by the user. Sideshields that provideeye protection and which also fit a broad range of eyeglass frame shapesand sizes are known as universal sideshields. Universal sideshields havethe further advantage of being fixably adaptable for fitting many typesof eyewear and therefore may be made available for users at locationswhere sideshield protection is desirable but might not otherwise beavailable for a specific frame style and size. Moreover, universalsideshields enable users to couple the sideshields to fashion safetyeyewear and thus maintain some semblance of style. Thus, eyewear used inconjunction with sideshields may be conventional safety glasses, with orwithout prescription lenses, or might instead be fashion safety eyewear,again, with or without prescription lenses.

As mentioned above, the basic shapes of safety eyeglass frames tend tofollow dress or street wear fashion trends. As such, the frontalprotective area is subject to wide fluctuations when on the one handvery large frames and lenses are in vogue and on the other when verynarrow frames prevail with their inherently smaller lenses. As might beexpected, narrow frames provide minimal frontal protection, yet arecurrently in high demand. Safety eyewear manufacturers quickly copy newtrends in non-safety products for introduction into the industrial workplace. This trend has resulted in the frames on safety glasses beingsomewhat narrowed thereby reducing the frontal protection afforded bycurrent models of safety glasses.

The reduction in vertical frontal protection provided by the narrowframe and lenses adversely affects the lateral protection offered byside protectors, the sideshields. As may be understood from the priorart identified above, manufacturers have all but exhausted the shapes,configurations and methods of design and fabrication of sideshields.There are permanently affixed, detachable and universal versions ofsideshields, as described immediately above. They may be designed toprovide side protection only, side and top protection only, or the fullcup style which provides roughly 180-degree protection, top-bottom-side.Those sideshields which provide side only, or side and top protection,generally incorporate flat, deflective or shock absorbing surfaces. Cupor full sideshields are generally arcuate in shape and to a large degreemust follow the basic design and shape of the eyeglass frame front.

All prior art sideshields have one thing in common: the verticaldimension of the eyeglass frames dictates the amount of lateral/verticalprotection provided by the side protector.

The amount of the frontal protective area, horizontal or vertical, isnot specified in the current version of the AMERICAN NATIONAL STANDARDZ87.1, Practice For Occupational and Educational Eye And Face Protectionor in the pending major revision which is due for publication in late2002 or early 2003. This revision specifies the locations at which asideshield protector shall be impacted by a 0.25 in. (¼ inch) steel ballhaving been fired by an air gun at a velocity of 150 feet per second.These mandated tests are conducted upon safety eyewear devices whichhave been placed upon an Alderson 50^(th) percentile head form. The headform is adjusted such that the path of the projectile passes through thecenter of the anterior surface of either of the eyes of the head form.The head form is then rotated on an axis which passes vertically at theintersections of a sagital plane through the center of the front surfaceof the tested eye and a coronal (frontal) plane which is 10 mm (0.394in.) posterior to the corneal plane which is tangent to the anteriorsurfaces of the eyes of the head form.

Testing of the sideshield is conducted while on the head form in theposition previously described with the exception that the head form isrotated 90 degrees so as to properly position the sideshield forimplementation of impact testing. Three impact locations are specifiedwhich utilize the center of the eye of the head form for reference:

-   -   1. impact the sideshield on a line which is on a plane with the        center of the eye and 10 mm posterior to the center of the eye        of the head form;    -   2. impact the sideshield 10 mm above and posterior to the center        of the eye of the head form; and    -   3. impact the sideshield 10 mm below and posterior to the center        of the eye of the head form.

Those skilled in the art of dispensing and adjusting eyeglasses to thewearer's head are keenly aware that the wearer's eyes, and those of theAlderson head form, will rarely be positioned at the mechanical centerof the lenses of the eyeglasses frames. To the contrary, the frames aregenerally positioned through design of the frame, such that the eyes arelocated well above the mechanical center of the frames and lenses.

A typical fashion-oriented safety frame measures 35.63 mm (1.40 in.)vertically and the maximum side impact exposure area of the side shieldis 28 mm (1.10 in.). Assuming that the frames, as worn, will rest withthe mechanical center of the lens only 5 mm (0.197 inch) below thecenter of the eye, simple mathematics tells us that the high velocity ¼inch steel ball will miss the sideshield and potentially strike the headform in the region of the eye cavity and upon an actual human head andwould inflect serious injury if not causing death.

Another reality not considered in the present eyewear testing regime isthe amount of force exerted on the wearer as a result of a projectileimpact. Clearly, if the projectile test is successful, the wearer shouldnot experience any eye injury. However, the kinetic energy transferredfrom the projectile to the eyeglasses or sideshield does not dissipatein the eyewear itself, but instead is transferred in substantial part tothe wearer along contact surfaces of the safety device. Consequently,the wearer may experience discomfort at contact surfaces.

Inasmuch as OSHA, in its regulation 29 CFR Part 1910.133, relies heavilyon ANSI Z87.1 for procedures in determining compliance, the industrywill find itself with hundreds of thousands of safety glasses which havenon-compliant sideshields attached. The average cost of over $100 perpair to replace those devices now in use would be astronomical, and inthe current economy could prove catastrophic to the economic well beingof some entities. An even more tragic scenario would be if the employeror employee chose not to comply with the standard and the employee lostthe sight of an eye, if not his life, in the event of an accident.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A sideshield eye protector is presented which includes a comfort andsafety wing that is formed as a surface appendage thereon and extends ina generally perpendicular direction from the surface of the sideshieldalong the contoured edge of the sideshield positioned closest to thewearer's face. The comfort and safety wing may be integral to thesideshield forming an integral structure therewith or removably attachedthereto. The comfort and safety wing is oriented generally parallel withthe facial surfaces and generally follows the proximate facial contours.A separate wing portion may be fabricated on both the upper and lowerparts of each sideshield, the upper wing portion extending from uppercontoured edge of the sideshield which provides additional coverage overthe upper portion of the eye orbits, temple and lower forehead area. Thelower face about the lower eye orbit and upper cheek area has agenerally parallel orientation with those facial surfaces

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The novel features believed characteristic of the present invention areset fourth in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, aswell as a preferred mode of use, further objectives and advantagesthereof, will be best understood by reference to the following detaileddescription of an illustrative embodiment when read in conjunction withthe accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a partial isometric view of a pair of eyeglasses having thefull sideshields removably attached to each side thereof as generallyknown in the prior art;

FIG. 2 is a partial isometric view of a pair of eyeglasses having thefull sideshields removably attached to each side thereof, wherein eachsideshield further includes comfort and safety wing portions inaccordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention forsupplementing the side protection and comfort to the wearer;

FIG. 3 is a diagram depicting an isometric view of a sideshield havingupper and lower comfort and safety wings in accordance with an exemplaryembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a diagram depicting an outside lateral view of a sideshieldhaving upper and lower comfort and safety wings in accordance with anexemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a diagram depicting an inside lateral view of a sideshieldhaving upper and lower comfort and safety wings in accordance with anexemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a diagram depicting a left sideshield as an inside view whichincludes a comfort pad in accordance with another exemplary embodimentof the present invention;

FIGS. 7A, 7B, and 7C are views of a generic embodiment of a comfort wingwith attached comfort pad in accordance with exemplary embodiments ofthe present invention;

FIGS. 8A–8J are views of a reversibly engaging comfort pad and genericwing portion with various means for attachment thereon in accordancewith exemplary embodiments of the present invention;

FIGS. 8A–8E are diagrams of cross-sectional views of the upper wingportion and comfort pad with various means for attachment in accordancewith exemplary embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a partial isometric view of a pair of eyeglasses withsideshields incorporated on each side thereof as described generallyabove with regard to FIG. 1; and

FIGS. 10A–10D are views depicting a removably attachable comfort wing inaccordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Other features of the present invention will be apparent from theaccompanying drawings and from the following detailed description.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 is a partial isometric view of a pair of eyeglasses having thefull sideshields removably attached to each side thereof as generallyknown in the prior art and described specifically in U.S. Pat. Nos.5,748,278 and 6,393,609 issued to Bennie F. Simmons, Sr. and identifiedabove. Briefly, eyeglass frame front portion 10 has temples 12 and 14pivotally attached to each side thereof for holding the eyeglass framefront 10 on the face of a user. Full sideshields 16 and 18 are removablyattached on each side of the frame front 10 and form a semicircle aroundthe eyeglass lens 20 and 22 in front of the eye cavity of the user toprovide eye protection on the top, bottom and side of the eye. Asmentioned above, each sideshield 16 and 18 is a generally arcuate-shapedsideshield having a periphery for generally conforming to the shape ofthe individual eyeglass lens holders 24 and 26. Further, each of priorart sideshields 16 and 18 has a top portion 28 integrally formed to aside portion 30, along a first edge 32, and a bottom portion 34integrally formed with side portion 30 at a second edge 36. As may beappreciated from the depiction in FIG. 1, the sideshields fitting eachside of the eyeglass frame are mirror images of each other. As shown, afirst flange portion 38 extends from at least one of the top portion 28,side portion 30, and bottom portion 34 at least partially in front ofand substantially parallel to the eyeglass lens holder 26. Also, asecond flange portion (not shown) may be included which extends inwardlyfrom at least one of the top and bottom portions behind andsubstantially parallel to the eyeglass lens holder 26 to secure theeyeglass lens holder 26 between the first flange portion 38 and thesecond flange portion.

It should be noted that prior art sideshields 16 and 18 provide adequateprotection for the wearer for a conventional safety frame which has avertical dimension greater than 45.0 mm (1.77 in.). This particularsideshield design offers superior results when tested under the steelprojectile test mandated by AMERICAN NATIONAL STANDARD Z87.1, PracticeFor Occupational and Educational Eye And Face Protection when affixed toconventional, non-fashion safety eyewear and does, in fact, provideexcellent results when tested on safety fashion eyewear with a similarvertical dimension.

However, as with many government mandated safety tests, the projectiletest does not accurately reflect projectile impacts in a real-worldsetting and, in the case of fashion oriented safety frames, portrays anoverly optimistic result. The disparity in the projectile test andreal-world incidents occur from the pragmatic realization that a safetyglass wearer does not regularly ensure that the safety glasses areadjusted in the optimum protective position on the head, one that mimicsthe positioning used for the projectile test. Often the safety glassesslide down the wearer's face increasing the likelihood of a directimpact to the eyes from a projectile. As the vertical dimension of theframes decreases to accommodate fashion trends, the likelihood ofexposure increases as does the incidence of injury that could otherwisehave been prevented.

FIG. 2 is a partial isometric view of a pair of eyeglasses having thefull sideshields removably attached to each side thereof as generallyknown in the prior art, but further including comfort and safety wingsin accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Thesafety wings supplement the wearer's protection from projectiles by, forinstance, increasing the coverage area around the eyes and eye orbitareas over the side protection offered by prior art sideshields byextending the vertical coverage of conventional sideshields. It shouldbe noted that the particular type of sideshield used herein has beenselected merely for contrast and is not meant to limit the practice ofthe present invention in any way. The design features of the sideshielditself are unimportant for the application of the presently-describedsafety and comfort wing, except for those features specificallydiscussed below. Full sideshields 16 and 18 depicted in FIG. 2 merelyillustrate exemplary side protection used for purpose of describing thepresent invention.

The present sideshield and safety wing is typically formed from apolycarbonate material which may be transparent, absorptive or opaqueand is generally arcuate-shaped having a periphery for generallyconforming to the shape of the eyeglass frame and has a top portion,upper wing portion, a bottom portion, lower wing portion and may alsohave a separate side portion, integrally formed as a single unit.

With further regard to FIG. 2, each of left and right sideshields 16 and18 has a top portion 28, a bottom portion 34 and a side portion 30,integrally formed therebetween. However, in accordance with otherembodiments of the present invention, left and right sideshields 16 and18 may be integrally formed from only top portion 28, and bottom portion34, whereby the side portion is formed from the top and bottom portions.With specific regard to left sideshield 16 depicted in FIG. 2, topportion 28 extends curvilinearly upward from side portion 30, toward thewearer, ending in a curvilinear perimeter that generally follows thecontour of a wearer's face. Upper comfort and safety wing portion 56(hereinafter referred to as a “comfort wing” or more simply merely as a“wing”) extends in a substantially upwardly vertical direction from thecurvilinear perimeter edge of top portion 28, making a generally acutedeparture from the surface contour of top portion 28. Along someportions of the curvilinear perimeter of the top portion 28, wingportion 56 makes a generally perpendicular departure from theorientation of top portion 28. Upper wing portion 56 forms a surfacewhich follows the contour of the curvilinear perimeter of top portion 28in a generally vertical direction, thereby extending the protectingcoverage of left sideshield 16 upwardly over the upper portion of theeye orbit, temple and lower forehead area. In its substantially upwardlyvertical orientation, upper wing portion 56 maintains a substantiallyparallel orientation with the wearer's facial surfaces that areproximate to the wing.

Turning now to bottom portion 34 of left sideshield 16 as depicted inFIG. 2, lower wing portion 66 extends in a substantially downwardlyvertical direction from the curvilinear perimeter edge of bottom portion34, making a generally acute departure from the surface contour ofbottom portion 34. Along some portions of the curvilinear perimeter ofbottom portion 34, wing portion 66 makes a generally perpendiculardeparture from the orientation of bottom portion 34. Essentially, lowerwing portion 66 forms a surface which follows the contour of thecurvilinear perimeter of bottom portion 34 in a generally verticaldirection, thereby extending the protecting coverage of left sideshield16 downwardly over the lower eye orbit and upper cheek area and has agenerally parallel orientation with those facial surfaces.

Correspondingly, upper and lower wing portions 58 and 68 of rightsideshield 18 are also formed by extending the respective top and bottomportions 28 and 34 acutely outward, in places up to an approximate rightangle to the respective top and bottom portions 28 and 34 in a similarmanner as described immediately above for left sideshield 16.

Alternatively, in accordance with other exemplary embodiments of thepresent invention, the comfort wing may, rather than being configured asdiscrete upper and lower wing portions, be formed as a contiguouscomfort wing extension to the surfaces of respective top portion 28,bottom portion 34, and side portion 30 of the sideshield. Thisembodiment may be understood as merely semantics because, while thecomfort wing extends the coverage area of side portion 30, the comfortwing merely increases the extent of side portion 30 along its predefinedsurface contour, rather than forming a surface at an acute angle to it.Therefore, even though a sideshield may be configured with a contiguouscomfort wing, the wing may still appear as two discrete wing portions;an upper portion and a lower portion.

The construction of an exemplary safety sideshields with comfort wingmay be better appreciated with reference to the isometric view of leftsideshield 16 showing upper wing portion 56 and lower wing portion 66 inFIG. 3, and the corresponding outside view in FIG. 4, and inside view ofleft sideshield 16 and wing portions in FIG. 5. It should be appreciatedthat right sideshield 18 with upper and lower wing portions 58 and 68 isa mirror image of left sideshield 16 with upper and lower wing portions56 and 66. For that reason, the right side is not depicted separately ina figure from left sideshield 16.

Safety sideshields incorporating comfort and safety wings provide anadditional measure of protection for the wearer's eyes and face. Theamount of added protection is quantifiable and is approximately equal tothe width of the wing portion (that portion which is substantiallyvertical). Referring now to FIG. 6, left sideshield 16 is depicted as aninside view with upper and lower wing portions 56 and 66 in accordancewith an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Notice from FIG.6 that upper and lower wing portions 56 and 66 increase the effectivecoverage of the sideshield because the surface of the wing portionsproject radially outward from sideshield 16 following the contour of thewearer's face. Thus, the wing configuration provides the maximum amountof added coverage area for the wing surface area.

Upper and lower wing portions 56 and 66 are specifically designed togive vulnerable facial structures, such as the eyes and eye sockets,substantially more protection than would be realized with baresideshields.

In accordance with a further exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention, upper wing portion 56 is vertically wider than lower wingportion 66. In practical usage situations, safety glasses tend to slidedown the wearer's nose from activity, perspiration and/or fatigue. Whenthe glasses and sideshields are improperly positioned on a wearer'shead, the wearer's eye is exposed to objects from any direction over thesideshields. Therefore, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment ofthe present invention, the vertical dimension of upper wing portion 56is increased resulting in more upper coverage area to compensate forcases where the safety glasses have slid downward in an improperposition. FIG. 6 is a diagram of a safety sideshield configured withupper and lower comfort wings wherein the upper comfort wing is widenedto accommodate slippage and improper positioning. In the depictedillustration, upper wing portion 56 extends integrally upwardly from topportion 28, and lower wing portions 66 extends integrally downwardlyfrom lower portion 34 as described elsewhere above. The coverage area ofthe respective upper and lower wing portions is depicted as the shadedarea of sideshield 16, designated as upper coverage area 52 and lowercoverage area 62, respectively. With particular attention to uppercoverage area 52, it can be seen that maximum width, W_(uw), of upperwing portion 56 is somewhat larger at cross section A–A′ than thecorresponding cross-section B–B′ of lower wing portion 66, depicted asmaximum width, w_(lw). In accordance with one exemplary embodiment,maximum width, w_(uw), of upper wing portion 56 is approximately 6.5 mm(0.26 in.), while maximum width, w_(lw), of lower wing portion 66 isonly 6.0 mm (0.24 in.) at the corresponding location. It should beunderstood that these vertical width measurements, and others allude toherein, are merely exemplary values used for the purpose of describingthe present invention and not intended to limit the scope or usage ofthe present invention.

The importance of upper and lower wing portions 56 and 66 to safetysideshield 16 for protecting the wearer may be better understood byillustrative comparison with prior art sideshields. From the exemplarysideshield depicted in FIG. 6, it can be seen that the vertical coveragearea of safety sideshield 16 with upper and lower wing portions 56 and66 is larger with the comfort wings; however, what is not easilydiscernable from the figure is the magnitude of the additional coveragearea in comparison to the coverage area of bare sideshield 16 withoutcomfort wings. The vertical width of the safety sideshield coverage areawithout the comfort wings is shown as W_(s). For fashion eyeglassframes, W_(s) is approximately 35.0 mm (1.38. in.), though as discussedabove, W_(s) for conventional eyeglass frames may be substantiallylarger. Therefore, a typical prior art safety sideshield for fashioneyewear may be expected to protect a maximum of 35.0 mm vertically. If,as described in the example above, the maximum width W_(lw) of lowerwing portion 66 and maximum width W_(uw) of upper wing portion 56 takentogether offered only a nominal increase of 12.5 mm in verticalcoverage, then the additional coverage of the comfort wings increasesthe vertical coverage by 37 percent over bare prior art sideshields.Thus, the presently-described invention will provide approximately 37percent greater maximum vertical coverage over the prior art.Furthermore, the location of the additional coverage area from wingportions 56 and 66 corresponds to sensitive areas of the wearer's facethat often need more protection. This is especially true for situationswhere the safety glasses are not adjusted properly on the wearer's headto their optimum protective position. It should be understood that thevertical dimensions of wing portions 56 and 66 (W_(uw) and W_(lw)) andsideshield 16 (W_(s)) described above are exemplary values used only fordescribing the present invention. In practice, the maximum verticalwidth dimension W_(uw) of the upper wing portion may range from 3.0 mm(0.12 in) to 20.0 mm (0.78 in), or greater, depending on the intendeduse in the environment; types of hazards normally present and severityof the risk to the wearer in the environment; the style and type ofsafety glasses, their fit, the likelihood of the particular style andtype staying in place; the wearer's usage habits; and other safetyrelated factors. The maximum vertical width dimension W_(lw) of thelower wing portion also may range from 3.0 mm to 20.0 mm, or greater,depending on the above-mentioned factor. Typically, safety sideshieldsare fabricated with the maximum width dimension W_(uw) of the upper wingportion which is somewhat larger than maximum width dimension W_(lw) forthe lower wing portion for the reasons discussed above.

Characteristically, sideshield manufacturers design sideshields so thatthe inner contoured edges of each sideshield follows the wearer'snatural facial contour without actually coming in contact with the faceitself. Manufacturers design this gap to serve several purposes. First,the gap allows persons with rounder, fuller faces to wear thesideshields in reasonable comfort. The gap also provides a distanceoffset for decelerating and absorbing impact energy. Contact points suchas the bridge of the nose and ears absorb shock from a projectile impactbefore the inner contoured edges of the sideshield make contact with thewearer's face. The gap also serves to isolate the wearer from roughareas of the contoured edge that would irritate the wearer's face. Theroughness results from the manufacturing molding process. Typically,manufacturers utilize multi-section molds that join together at thecontoured edges of the workpiece. Plastic spurs and unconformitiesresult on those edges from the small amounts of molten plastic seepingthrough the joint or misalignment of the molded sections. These spursare easily polished off, but often manufacturers merely inspect arepresentative sample of the sideshields and then begins polishing onlyif the sample indicates a need for polishing.

In contrast with prior art sideshields, the sideshield and comfort wingsof the present invention orient the contoured edges away from thewearer's face. Any incidental contact with the wearer is between thesmoother inner surfaces (upper coverage area 52 and lower coverage area62) of the sideshield wing portions rather than the rough, contourededges.

In accordance with still another exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention, upper and lower comfort pads are secured to at least theinner surfaces of a portion of upper coverage area 52 and lower coveragearea 62 of respective upper and lower wing portions 56 and 66. Noticefrom the diagram of sideshield 16 depicted in FIG. 6 that upper coveragearea 52 and lower coverage area 62 each offer a convenient surface forattaching comfort strips or pads for added comfort. The pad offers asupple standoff for the wearer from sideshield 16. Comfort pads aredepicted below in FIGS. 7 and 8.

FIGS. 7A, 7B, and 7C are views of a generic comfort wing with attachedcomfort pad in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the presentinvention. FIGS. 7A is a partial isometric view of a comfort wingportion with a comfort pad attached thereon. The diagrams illustrated inFIGS. 7B and 7C are cross-sectional views of the generic wing portionand comfort pad in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the presentinvention. With regard to FIG. 7A, a comfort wing is depicted that maybe one of left upper wing portion 56, left lower wing portion 66, rightupper wing portion 58, or right lower wing portion 68, and isrepresented generically in the figure as wing portion 40. Conforming tothe shape of one of the inner surfaces of generic wing portion 40 iscomfort pad 70. Comfort pad 70 is secured to the inner surface of wingportion 40 by adhesive 72. Adhesive 72 may be a permanent type ofadhesive applied during the fabrication process, or it might instead bea temporary and reusable type of adhesive which allows the wearer toreplace comfort pad 70 without discarding the entire sideshield.

FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional view of wing portion 40 with comfort pad 70taken along line A–A′ shown in FIG. 7A. Comfort pad 70 may beconstructed in a variety of thicknesses, D_(cp), depending on theintended application and the wearer's preference. In accordance with oneexemplary embodiment of the present invention, comfort pad 70 has athickness, D_(cp), of approximately 5.0 mm (0.20 in.) for a wingthickness, D_(w), of approximately 1.25 mm (0.05 in.). In practice, thevalue of D_(cp) is selected based on the desired offset distance betweenthe comfort wing and the wearer's face. Typically, comfort pad 70,D_(cp) is between 3.0 mm (0.125 in.) and 6.0 mm (0.240 in.), but may beincreased or decreased to accommodate a particular wearer.

Comfort pad 70 may be fabricated from a variety of soft and semi-softrubber or plastic compounds that are comfortable and increase the shockabsorbency for the sideshield. In accordance with this exemplaryembodiment, comfort pad 70 is formed from a pliable material with asmooth outer surface for increased comfort, thus allowing comfort pad 70to flexibly conform to the shape of the inner surface of wing portion 40for easily placing and replacing the pad thereon. Because comfort pad 70is bonded to a wing portion, the pad material need not be resilientenough to hold the shape of the inner surface of wing portion 40.However, in accordance with another exemplary embodiment, comfort pad 70is formed from a pliable but resilient material which holds the shape ofthe inner surface of wing portion 40, while providing the needed comfortto the wearer. In that case, the permanent contour of the comfort padwill conform to one of two basic wing portion surface shapes: the upperleft/upper right wing portions inner surface shape; and the lowerright/lower left wing portions inner surface shape. In accordance withstill another embodiment, comfort pad 70 may extend across the entireleft or right sideshield; therefore, only two comfort pads would-benecessary. Exemplary pad materials include pressure sensitive one-sidedfoam rubber or pressure sensitive vinyl foam.

With particular regard to the shape of comfort pad 70, attention isdirected to FIG. 2, FIG. 6 and FIGS. 7A and 7B. Notice from the figuresthat the inner surface of upper coverage area 52 has an outer perimetershape that is unique from the outer perimeter shape of the inner surfaceof lower coverage area 62. Also, upper coverage area 52 is somewhatlonger than lower coverage area 62. Therefore, the “fit” of comfort pad70 to the coverage area of a wing portion depends on several factors,i.e., outer perimeter shape coincidence, vertical symmetry, and physicalflexibility. In some cases, it may be desirable for comfort pad 70 tomatch a wing's outer perimeter coverage area, i.e., the outer perimetershape of comfort pad 70 coinciding with that of the respective wing'souter perimeter coverage area. Consequently, the upper and lower comfortpad would not be interchangeable. Moreover, while the left and rightsafety sideshields are mirror images of one another, neither uppercoverage area 52 nor lower coverage area 62 is vertically symmetrical,so the left and right comfort pads would not be interchangeable either.Thus, if it is desirable for the outer perimeter shape of the pad tocoincide with that of the respective coverage areas, a typical pair ofsafety sideshields with comfort wings would require four uniquely shapedcomfort pads. A comfort pad kit would then contain four distinctivelyshaped comfort pads. Also, while it is expected that comfort pad 70 maybe formed from a pliable material which easily conforms to the surfaceshape of a wing, according to this embodiment the material may also beresilient enough to hold its shape since the pads are notinterchangeable anyway, i.e., each of the four pads has a unique shape.

If the coincidence requirement is relaxed, then a kit may comprise onlytwo pair of identically shaped comfort pads, a pair of identicallyshaped and interchangeable upper comfort pads, and a second pair ofidentically shaped and interchangeable lower comfort pads. Even thoughthe left and right wings are mirror images of each other, the padsshould still be pliable enough to conform to the inner surface of bothof the wings, i.e., either the upper or the lower wings. If the pads arenot pliable enough to easily conform to the curvilinear surface of bothcomfort wings (uppers or lowers), it might be necessary to use fouruniquely shaped comfort pads to accommodate the unique shape of theindividual comfort wings, notwithstanding the coincidence requirementfor the outer perimeter shapes.

With regard to the least restrictive embodiment, comfort pad 70 may beformed from a pliable material in a single generic length and shape thatis easily conformed to the unique curvilinear surface shape andperimeter of any of upper left wing 56, upper right wing 58, lower leftwing 66 or lower right wing 68, while providing adequate coverage overthe respective wing portion for comfort. In the generic case, a kitwould comprise four identically shaped pliable comfort pads. Thus,depending on factors such as outer shape coincidence, vertical symmetry,and physical flexibility, a comfort pad kit will contain four padshaving one, two, or four unique shapes.

In accordance with still another exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention, comfort pad 70, depicted in FIG. 7C, may include bladder 74containing various materials for added comfort and shock absorbency. Forexample, the bladder may be filled with air, water, gel, or some otherfree-flowing or viscous substance, or a combination of the exemplarymaterials. Similar to the discussion of comfort pad 70 directly above,comfort pad 70 may be constructed to fit a pair of sideshields as kitscomprising four uniquely shaped pads, two uniquely shaped pairs of pads,or four identical generically shaped pads composed of a pliablematerial.

In accordance with still other exemplary embodiments of the presentinvention, the comfort pad may be constructed to conform to more than asingle surface of the wing, thereby eliminating or reducing the need foran adhesive to secure a comfort pad to a wing. Referring now to FIGS.8A–8J, views of a reversibly engaging comfort pad and generic wingportion are shown with various means for attachment thereon inaccordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention. As wasdiscussed above with regard to comfort pad 70, the reversibly engagingcomfort pads depicted in FIGS. 8A–8J may be fabricated with any one ofthree types of pads set designs: four reversibly engaging comfort pads,each pad separately shaped to coincide with a particular comfort wingportion; two pair of identically shaped, reversibly engaging comfortpads, each pair interchangeably shaped to accommodate one of the uppercomfort wings or the lower comfort wings; or four identically shaped,reversibly engaging comfort pads, each pad interchangeably shaped toaccommodate any of the upper or lower comfort wing portions. However, ingeneral, the comfort pads should be fabricated from a more resilient andless pliable material than is generally used for comfort pad 70 which issecured by adhesive bonding to ensure proper coupling with the couplingmechanism.

With regard to FIGS. 8A and 8B, reversibly engaging comfort pad 80(alternatively referred to below as pad 80) is depicted proximate togeneric wing portion 40. Wing portion 40, depicted in FIGS. 8A–8J, maybe any one of the upper left, upper right, lower left and lower rightwing portions designated as generic wing portion 40. In the same regard,the comfort pad depicted in FIGS. 8A–8J, shown as pad 80 in FIGS. 8A and8B, may be a pad shape design in accordance with any one of the threetypes of comfort pad designs discussed immediately above, i.e., the fouruniquely shaped, reversibly engaging comfort pad design; the two pair oftwo identically shaped, reversibly engaging comfort pad design; and thefour identically shaped, reversibly engaging comfort pad design.

FIGS. 8A and 8B depict the least complicated coupling mechanism whichutilizes friction to secure pad 80 to wing portion 40. With specificregard to FIG. 8A, a partial isometric view of comfort wing portion 40with reversibly engaging comfort pad 80 is depicted in accordance withan exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Pad 80 is elongatedhaving a first outer surface 83 and a second outer surface 85 disposedon either side of channel 81. In accordance with this exemplaryembodiment, the U-shaped cross-sectional design of pad 80 enables thepad to grip wing portion 40 without any securing means other thanfriction along the contact surfaces of wing portion 40 against the outersurfaces of channel 81. The fit of wing portion 40 to channel 81 isshown more particularly in cross-sectional diagram FIG. 8B. Theresiliency of pad 80 provides an additional securing force. Each of theexemplary embodiments depicted in FIGS. 8A–8J illustrates a mechanicalcoupling mechanism that is not-intended to use an adhesive. If, however,additional hold is desired, an adhesive may be used in conjunction withthe coupling mechanism, for example, applied along a surface of channel81. Exemplary pad materials include PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride), TPE(Thermal Plastic Elastomer) or TPR (Thermal Rubber Elastomer).

The lateral extents of channel 81 are generally shown as beingopen-ended, but in accordance with an alternative embodiment (notshown), may be closed for coupling to the lateral extents of wingportion 40. In that case, pad 80 is secured to wing portion 40 by theclosed ends of channel 81 on pad 80 elastically gripping the outer endsof wing portion 40, in addition to the friction fit of wing portion 40in channel 81.

It should also be appreciated that the reversibility feature of comfortpad 80 provides the wearer with an uncomplicated means for adjusting orcustomizing the fit of the sideshield and comfort wing to the uniqueshape of the wearer's facial structure. Turning now to FIG. 8B, across-sectional view of pad 80 and wing portion 40 is depicted at lineA–A′ shown on FIG. 8A. Notice that outer surface 83 is offset fromchannel 81 by a standoff distance of D_(cp1), and outer surface 85 isoffset from channel 81 by a standoff distance of D_(cp2). Notice alsofrom the depicted comfort pad in the illustration that distance D_(cp1)is smaller than distance D_(cp2). In accordance with another exemplaryembodiment of the present invention, the reversibly engaging comfortpads are transposable for reversibly engaging one of the upper comfortwing portions and the lower wing portions. Reversibility enables awearer to reverse the orientation of pad 80 such that either of firstouter surface 83 or second outer surface 85 is directed inwardly towardthe wearer's face by merely reversing the placement of the upper padsfrom, for example, the left upper wing to the right upper wing, whilemaintaining the vertical orientation channel 81. The same basicprocedure can be followed for reversing the lower set of pads. Byreversing the orientation of comfort pad 80 on wing portion 40, theoffset, or standoff distance between the wearer's face and thesideshield assembly, can be altered to allow a wearer with virtually anyshape of face to wear the sideshields in reasonable comfort. Inaccordance with one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, firststandoff distance D_(cp1), separating first outer surface 83 fromchannel 81, is approximately 3.0 mm (0.12 in.), and second standoffdistance D_(cp2), which separates second outer surface 85 from channel81, is approximately 5.0 mm (0.20 in.). The diameter, D_(w), of channel81 is approximately 1.25 mm (0.05 in.).

Reversibly engaging pads 80 may be offered as kits having various sizes,thus allowing a wearer to custom fit the sideshield to his uniquelyshaped face. In practice, standoff distance D_(cp1) and standoffdistance D_(cp2) are typically between 2.0 mm (0.08 in.) and 6.0 mm(0.24 in.), but might be larger or smaller to accommodate some wearers.Reversibly engaging pad 80 should be designed for interchangeablyaccommodating either the upper wing portions or the lower wing portions,i.e., the two pair of two identically shaped pad design, for retainingthe reversibility feature. One pair's shape interchangeably conforms tothe shape of the surface of the upper wing portions and the other pair'sshape interchangeably conforms to the shape of the surface of the lowerwing portions. In certain situations, it may be possible for reversiblyengaging pad 80 to have a generic shape design to reversibly engage anyof the four wing portions and still retain the reversibility feature.

A comfort pad kit typically consists of a set of four comfort pads inany of the shape designs described above, with each pad having matchedvalues for standoff distances D_(cp1) and D_(cp2). Alternatively, a kitmay include multiple sets of four pads, with each set of pads havingmatched distance D_(cp1) and D_(cp2) values unique to that set. Usingthat type of kit, a wearer can fine-tune the fit by comparing the feelof sets of comfort pads with different standoff distances. Furthermore,a pad kit for a set of sideshields may consist of as few as two pads,one for the entire left sideshield and another for the entire rightsideshield. Comfort pads 70, described above, is one type pad designthat will readily accommodate the entire extent of a sideshield.However, it is much more difficult to configure the type of pad thatuses a mechanical coupling mechanism for an entire sideshield, e.g.,such as reversibly engaging pad 80. The frame of the glasses interfereswith the fit of the pad at side portion 30.

Since FIGS. 8C and 8D illustrate substantially the same view ofreversibly engaging comfort pad 82 on wing portion 40 depicted in FIGS.8A and 8B for pad 80, only the differences between the embodiments willbe discussed in detail. In the illustration, the channel of comfort pad82 is modified by the inclusion of a bulbous portion of the terminatingdepth of channel 81, depicted as bulbous cavity 92F. The pliable natureof the material of comfort pad 82 compresses, thereby allowing thelarger diameter of bead 92M to traverse channel 81. Coupling the padover the wing is accomplished when bulbous cavity 92F receives andcooperates with bead 92M formed along the upper extent of wing portion40. Uncoupling comfort pad 82 from wing portion 40 is accomplished bymerely pulling the comfort pad 40 away from the wing portion.

FIGS. 8E and 8F illustrate still another mechanism for mechanicallysecuring reversibly engaging pad 84 to wing portion 40 in accordancewith an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. In accordancewith this exemplary embodiment, one or more male pins 94M are fashionedonto the outer surface of wing portion 40 which is oriented outward fromthe wearer's face during usage. One or more cooperating orifices 94F arefabricated in comfort pad 84 for receiving and cooperating with malepins 94M. Male pins 94M and cooperating orifices 94F are positioned onthe respective parts such that they couple together when pad 84 isinstalled on wing portion 40. Essentially, channel 81 of reversiblyengaging pad 84 conforms male pins 94M in the same manner as describedabove, thereby allowing male pins 94M to be coupled into respectivecooperating orifices 94F. It is expected that comfort pad 84 could besecured to either an upper or lower wing portion with as few as twopins, but more pins should be included for softer and less rigid padmaterials. However, to ensure the reversibility of pad 84 onto wing 40,orifices 94F should be disposed symmetrically along channel 81 on otherside of the centerline of pad 84. The placement of male pins 94M on wing40 should also be disposed symmetrically on either side of an imaginaryline, usually the centerline, on wing 40. It may also be possible to useone pin/orifice pair in conjunction with a friction-fitting channel asdescribed in FIGS. 8A and 8B above, and/or an adhesive. Uncouplingcomfort pad 84 from wing portion 40 is accomplished as described aboveby merely pulling reversibly engaging pad 84 away from the comfort wing.

FIGS. 8G and 8H illustrate still another mechanism for mechanicallysecuring reversibly engaging comfort pad 86 to wing portion 40 inaccordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Theunderlying principle for the connection mechanism for this embodiment isessentially identical to the embodiment described in FIGS. 8E and 8Fimmediately above with the male and female cooperating parts beingreversed. In accordance with this exemplary embodiment, one or more maledowels 96M are fashioned onto the outer surface of channel 81 in comfortpad 86. One or more cooperating orifices 96F are formed in or throughwing portion 40. As in the embodiment described above, male dowels 96Mand cooperating orifices 96F are positioned on the respective parts suchthat they couple together when comfort pad 86 is installed on wingportion 40. As depicted, male dowels 96M protrude from either side ofthe channel 84 in comfort pad 86, but may instead project from only oneside of the channel. Here again, symmetric placement of the male dowelspins and cooperating orifices is necessary to assure reversibility.

FIGS. 8I and 8J illustrate a lateral ridge coupling mechanismmechanically securing reversibly engaging pad 88 to wing portion 40 inaccordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Inaccordance with this embodiment, one or more male ridges 98M are formedalong the lateral extent of one side of wing portion 40, and whencoupled to comfort pad 88, they cooperate with corresponding one or moregrooves or lateral recesses 98F which follow the interior side walls ofchannel 81. The number and height of the ridges depend on the resiliencyof the material used for fabrication comfort pad 88. However, lateralrecesses 98F should be symmetrically disposed on either side of channel81, while male ridges 98M should be placed only on the outer surface ofwing 40 which is oriented away from the wearer's face while in use.

As mentioned generally herein, the safety sideshields may be a removabletype safety sideshield, described above with regard to FIGS. 1–6, or apermanently mounted type of safety sideshield. Any of comfort pads 70,80, 82, 84, 86 and 88 may be coupled to either a permanent or removabletype of sideshield so long as the sideshield has a comfort wing that, ifnecessary, has the mechanical parts necessary for coupling.

A problem often associated with the permanent type of sideshields isthat of being custom designed for accommodating a singular size and typeof eyewear which generally offers the wearer an acceptable amount ofprotection, but usually little in the way of style and versatility.Permanent sideshields are generally integrated into the eyewear frames,usually making replacement impossible without disposing to the framesalso. If a wearer wishes to upgrade the sideshields for any reason, theentire eyeglass and sideshield combination must be discarded in favor ofthe upgraded model. Upgrading permanent sideshields is an expensiveproposition, and wearers often elect to delay replacing the sideshieldsuntil their current eyeglasses become non-functional or irreparablyobsolete. A mere safety improvement to a sideshield is rarely sufficientmotivation for wearers and employers to upgrade fully functionaleyeglasses. The reluctance of wearers to upgrade is also common amongowners of the removable type safety sideshields, but to a somewhatlesser extent because the cost associated with upgrading the removabletype safety sideshield is much lower because the safety glasses need notbe replaced. Therefore, in accordance with another exemplary embodimentof the present invention, removably attachable comfort wings arepresented which may be installed on either the permanent type safetysideshield or the removable type safety sideshield and which providesubstantially the same benefits as permanent comfort wings without thenecessity of replacing either the sideshields or eyeglasses.

FIG. 9 is a partial isometric view of a pair of eyeglasses withsideshields incorporated on each side as generally described above inFIG. 1. Left and right sideshields 116 and 118 depicted therein may beeither of a removable type safety sideshield, or a permanently mountedtype of safety sideshield. In either case, removably attachable comfortwings 156, 158, 166 and 168 are removably secured to left and rightsideshields 116 and 118 in accordance with an exemplary embodiment ofthe present invention. In the depicted illustration, removablyattachable comfort wings 156 is shown attached to left upper surface 134of left sideshields 116, removably attachable comfort wings 158 is shownattached to right upper surface 128 of right sideshields 118, andcomfort wings 166 and 168 are shown attached to the respective left andright lower surfaces of the respective left and right safety sideshields116 and 118. Removably attachable comfort wings 156, 158, 166 and 168provide a convenient, inexpensive and easy-to-use means for upgradingany type of safety sideshields with comfort wings.

FIGS. 10A–10D are views depicting removably attachable comfort wing 150in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.FIG. 10A is a partial isometric view of a removably attachable comfortwing portion, and the diagrams in FIGS. 10B, 10C and 10D are top andside cross-sectional and frontal views of the comfort wing portion inaccordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention.Removably attachable comfort wings 150 comprise wing portion 152 whichis integrally formed to upper retaining lip portion 154U and lowerretaining lip portion 154L, whereby the wing and retaining lips aregenerally formed as a single unit. Removably attachable comfort wing 150is secured to an edge of surface 160 (generically referring to any ofthe upper left, upper right, lower left and lower right sideshieldsurfaces) of a conventional safety sideshield without any securing meansother than friction between surface 160 contacting the inner surfaces ofupper and lower retaining lip portions 154U and 154L. Alternatively, anadhesive may be applied to the inner surfaces of upper and lowerretaining lip portions 154U and 154L for securing to wing portion 152.In either case, wing portion 152 is oriented outwardly away from thewearer's eye area in a manner similar to that discussed above forcomfort wings integrally formed as a single unit to the sideshield.However, in accordance with this embodiment, removably attachablecomfort wings 150 are intended for use with prior art sideshieldswithout comfort wings. Thus, the added comfort and safety afforded bythe present comfort wing may be afforded to virtually anyone with priorart safety sideshields without having to buy safety sideshields withcomfort wings.

In further accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention, removably attachable comfort wing 150 is flexibly configuredto conform to the contoured edges of surface 1260 associated with eitherupper or lower surfaces on the left or right safety sideshield, whilebeing resilient enough to protect the wearer's eyes from projectiles.This is accomplished by providing added flexibility for bending comfortwing 150 about the curved edge of a sideshield by incorporating reliefridges in upper and lower retaining lip portions 154U and 154L. Theseridges absorb the bending stress and allow comfort wing 150 to bendsmoothly to accommodate virtually any shape of the sideshield edge.Moreover, comfort wing 150 can be inverted for attachment to upper orlower sideshield surfaces. Thus, when provided as a kit, a set ofcomfort wings 150 may be comprised of identical comfort wings whichremovably attach to various surfaces on the safety sideshield. Comfortwings 150 are easily trimmed with a sharp blade and may be thereforesomewhat longer than necessary and trimmed to fit by the wearer.Alternatively, a kit may instead contain a continuous length of comfortwing 150 that may be trimmed to fit by the wearer. The vertical extentof wing portion 152, W_(w), may range from 3.0 mm (0.12 in) to 20.0 mm(0.78 in), or greater, depending on the intended use in the environment;types of hazards normally present and severity of the risk to the wearerin the environment; the style and type of safety glasses, their fit, thelikelihood of the particular style and type staying in place; thewearer's usage habits; and other safety related factors. However, itshould be recognized that the flexibility of wing portion 152 will bediminished somewhat with wider wings.

In accordance with still another embodiment of the present invention,comfort pad 170 may be optionally secured to the inner surface of wingportion 152 as described above in FIGS. 7A–7C. As a practical matter,comfort pad 170 interferes with the flexible removably attachablecomfort wing 150 and is therefore normally attached to the inner surfaceof wing portion 152 after removably attachable comfort wing 150 has beenaffixed to the sideshields.

The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of allmeans or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended toinclude any structure, material, or act for performing the function incombination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. Thedescription of the present invention has been presented for purposes ofillustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive orlimited to the invention in the form disclosed. Many modifications andvariations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. Theembodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain theprinciples of the invention and the practical application, and to enableothers of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention forvarious embodiments with various modifications as are suited to theparticular use contemplated.

1. A removably attachable comfort wing for use with a sideshieldemployed for use with an eyeglass frame having a pair of spaced eyeglasslens holders, said sideshield having a generally arcuate-shaped shieldmember comprising at least a top portion and a bottom portion, each ofsaid top portion and said bottom portion having an inner surface and anouter surface, said top portion and said bottom portion each beingdefined by facial feature approximation contour, wherein a facialfeature approximation contour of said top portion approximates a facialcontour of at least a portion of one of a wearer's upper eye orbit andlower forehead, while a facial feature approximation contour of saidbottom portion approximates a facial contour of at least a portion ofone of a wearer's lower eye orbit and upper cheek, said removablyattachable comfort wing comprising: a wing portion, said wing portionhaving a first surface and a second surface, said first surface and saidsecond surface having a lateral edge defining an extent of saidsurfaces; and a selectively releasable coupling affixed to said wingportion for removably attaching to one of the top portion and the bottomportion of the sideshield, said selectively releasable couplingcomprising: a first retention lip, said first retention lip having afirst retention lip lateral edge, said first retention lip lateral edgebeing affixed to said first surface of said wing portion, and the firstretention lip further comprises a plurality of relief ridges, saidplurality of relief ridges being formed in an edge of said firstretention lip opposite said first retention lip lateral edge; a secondretention lip, said second retention lip having a second retention liplateral edge, said second retention lip lateral edge being affixed tosaid first surface of said wing portion between said lateral edge, andsaid first retention lip; and a retention gap formed between said firstretention lip and said second retention lip, wherein said removablyattachable comfort wing is removably attached to one of said top portionand said bottom portion of said sideshield.
 2. The removably attachablecomfort wing recited in claim 1 above, wherein said second retention lipfurther comprises: a second plurality of relief ridges, said secondplurality of relief ridges being formed in an edge of said secondretention lip opposite said second retention lip lateral edge.
 3. Theremovably attachable comfort wing recited in claim 1, wherein theselectively releasable coupling affixed to said wing portion, furthercomprises: an adhesive agent.
 4. The removably attachable comfort wingrecited in claim 1, wherein the selectively releasable coupling affixedto said wing portion, further comprises: an adhesive, said adhesiveapplied on a surface of one of said first retention lip and said secondretention lip, said surface oriented toward said retention gap.
 5. Theremovably attachable comfort wing recited in claim 1 above, wherein saidone of said top portion and said bottom portion being on one of a leftsideshield and a right sideshield.
 6. The removably attachable comfortwing recited in claim 1 above, said removably attachable comfort wingbeing flexible for conforming to said one of said top portion and saidbottom portion.
 7. The removably attachable comfort wing recited inclaim 1 above, wherein a lateral length being greater than a length ofsaid one of said top portion and said bottom portion, whereby saidlateral length of said removably attachable comfort wing is trimmed tothe length of said one of said top portion and said bottom portion. 8.The removably attachable comfort wing recited in claim 1 above, furthercomprises: a removably attachable comfort pad, affixed to said innersurface of said removably attachable comfort wing.
 9. The removablyattachable comfort wing recited in claim 8 above, wherein said comfortpad further comprises: a solid core.
 10. The removably attachablecomfort wing recited in claim 8 above, wherein said comfort pad furthercomprises: a bladder, said bladder holding a viscose fluid.
 11. Theremovably attachable comfort wing recited in claim 8 above, wherein saidcomfort pad further comprises: a U-shaped cross-section, wherein saidcomfort pad cooperates with an outer surface and an inner surface ofsaid comfort wing.
 12. The removably attachable comfort wing recited inclaim 8 above further comprises: an adhesive interspersed between thesaid comfort pad and said inner surface of said comfort wing.
 13. Theremovably attachable comfort wing recited in claim 8 above, wherein saidcomfort pad being shaped to cooperate with any of an upper removablyattachable comfort wing for use with a left eye, an upper removablyattachable comfort wing for use with a right eye, a lower removablyattachable comfort wing for use with a left eye, and a lower removablyattachable comfort wing for use with a right eye.
 14. The removablyattachable comfort wing recited in claim 8 above, wherein said removablyattachable comfort pad being shaped to cooperate with any two of anupper removably attachable comfort wing for use with a left eye, anupper removably attachable comfort wing for use with a right eye, alower removably attachable comfort wing for use with a left eye, and alower removably attachable comfort wing for use with a right eye. 15.The removably attachable comfort wing recited in claim 8 above, whereinsaid comfort pad being shaped to cooperate with any one of an upperremovably attachable comfort wing for use with a left eye, an upperremovably attachable comfort wing for use with a right eye, a lowerremovably attachable comfort wing for use with a left eye, and a lowerremovably attachable comfort wing for use with a right eye.
 16. Theremovably attachable comfort wing recited in claim 8 above, wherein saidgenerally arcuate-shaped shield member forming a portion of a separatelyremovable sideshield.
 17. The removably attachable comfort wing recitedin claim 16 above, wherein the sideshield being adaptable for use onsafety glasses.
 18. The removably attachable comfort wing recited inclaim 16 above, wherein the sideshield being adaptable for use on safetygoggles.
 19. The removably attachable comfort wing recited in claim 16above, wherein the sideshield being adaptable for use on glasses havingtransparent lenses.
 20. The removably attachable comfort wing recited inclaim 16 above, wherein the sideshield being adaptable for use onsunglasses.
 21. The removably attachable comfort wing recited in claim 8above, wherein said generally arcuate-shaped shield member forms aportion of a fixed sideshield.
 22. The removably attachable comfort wingrecited in claim 21 above, wherein the sideshield being affixed tosafety glasses.
 23. The removably attachable comfort wing recited inclaim 21 above, wherein the sideshield being affixed to safety goggles.24. The removably attachable comfort wing recited in claim 21 above,wherein the sideshield being affixed to corrective glasses.
 25. Theremovably attachable comfort wing recited in claim 21 above, wherein thesideshield being affixed to sunglasses.
 26. The removably attachablecomfort wing recited in claim 1 above, wherein said removably attachablecomfort wing having a width greater than two millimeters.
 27. Theremovably attachable comfort wing recited in claim 1 above, wherein saidremovably attachable comfort wing formed from a resilient class ofpolycarbonate materials.
 28. The removably attachable comfort wingrecited in claim 1 above, wherein an eyeglass lens in one of said pairof spaced eyeglass lens holders is transparent.
 29. The removablyattachable comfort wing recited in claim 1 above, wherein an eyeglasslens in one of said pair of spaced eyeglass lens holders issemi-transparent.
 30. A removably attachable comfort wing for use with asideshield employed for use with an eyeglass frame having a pair ofspaced eyeglass lens holders, said sideshield having a generallyarcuate-shaped shield member comprising at least a top portion and abottom portion, each of said top portion and said bottom portion havingan inner surface and an outer surface, said top portion and said bottomportion each being defined by facial feature approximation contour,wherein a facial feature approximation contour of said top portionapproximates a facial contour of at least a portion of one of a wearersupper eye orbit and lower forehead, while a facial feature approximationcontour of said bottom portion approximates a facial contour of at leasta portion of one of a wearers lower eye orbit and upper cheek, saidremovably attachable comfort wing comprising: a selectively releasablecoupling for removably attaching the comfort wing to one of the topportion and the bottom portion of a sideshield; and a wing portionaffixed to said selectively releasable coupling, said wing portioncomprises a first surface and a second surface, and further comprise afirst lateral edge and a second lateral edge, the first and the secondlateral edges define the boundaries of the first and the secondsurfaces, wherein at least one of the first surface and the secondsurface being affixed to said selectively releasable coupling proximateto the second lateral edge, and said first and said second lateral edgeseach form a continuous contour having a cumulative arc length of lessthan 360 degrees.
 31. The removably attachable comfort wing recited inclaim 30, wherein the selectively releasable coupling affixed to saidwing portion, further comprises: an adhesive agent.
 32. The removablyattachable comfort wing recited in claim 30 above, wherein said one ofsaid top portion and said bottom portion being on one of a leftsideshield and a right sideshield.
 33. The removably attachable comfortwing recited in claim 30 above, said removably attachable comfort wingbeing flexible for conforming to said one of said top portion and saidbottom portion.
 34. The removably attachable comfort wing recited inclaim 30 above, wherein a lateral length being greater than a length ofsaid one of said top portion and said bottom portion, whereby saidlateral length of said removably attachable comfort wing is trimmed tothe length of said one of said top portion and said bottom portion. 35.The removably attachable comfort wing recited in claim 30 above furthercomprises: a comfort pad, said comfort pad affixed to said inner surfaceof said removably attachable comfort wing.
 36. The removably attachablecomfort wing recited in claim 35 above, wherein said comfort pad furthercomprises: a solid core.
 37. The removably attachable comfort wingrecited in claim 36 above, wherein said comfort pad further comprises: abladder, said bladder holding a viscose fluid.
 38. The removablyattachable comfort wing recited in claim 36 above, wherein said comfortpad further comprises: a U-shaped cross-section, wherein said comfortpad cooperates with an outer surface and an inner surface of saidcomfort wing.
 39. The removably attachable comfort wing recited in claim36 above further comprises: an adhesive interspersed between the saidcomfort pad and said inner surface of said comfort wing.
 40. Theremovably attachable comfort wing recited in claim 36 above, whereinsaid comfort pad being shaped to cooperate with any of an upperremovably attachable comfort wing for use with a left eye, an upperremovably attachable comfort wing for use with a right eye, a lowerremovably attachable comfort wing for use with a left eye, and a lowerremovably attachable comfort wing for use with a right eye.
 41. Theremovably attachable comfort wing recited in claim 30 above, wherein aremovably attachable comfort pad being shaped to cooperate with any twoof an upper removably attachable comfort wing for use with a left eye,an upper removably attachable comfort wing for use with a right eye, alower removably attachable comfort wing for use with a left eye, and alower removably attachable comfort wing for use with a right eye. 42.The removably attachable comfort wing recited in claim 30 above, whereinsaid comfort pad being shaped to cooperate with any one of an upperremovably attachable comfort wing for use with a left eye, an upperremovably attachable comfort wing for use with a right eye, a lowerremovably attachable comfort wing for use with a left eye, and a lowerremovably attachable comfort wing for use with a right eye.
 43. Theremovably attachable comfort wing recited in claim 30 above, wherein thesideshield being adaptable for use on safety glasses.
 44. The removablyattachable comfort wing recited in claim 30 above, wherein thesideshield being adaptable for use on safety goggles.
 45. The removablyattachable comfort wing recited in claim 30 above, wherein thesideshield being affixed to corrective glasses.
 46. The removablyattachable comfort wing recited in claim 30 above, wherein thesideshield being affixed to sunglasses.
 47. The removably attachablecomfort wing recited in claim 30 above, wherein said removablyattachable comfort wing having a width greater than two millimeters. 48.The removably attachable comfort wing recited in claim 30 above, whereinsaid removably attachable comfort wing formed from a resilient class ofpolycarbonate materials.
 49. The removably attachable comfort wingrecited in claim 30 above, wherein the selectively releasable couplingfurther comprises: a first retention lip, said first retention liphaving a first retention lip lateral edge, said first retention liplateral edge being affixed to said first surface of said wing portion; asecond retention lip, said second retention lip having a secondretention lip lateral edge, said second retention lip lateral edge beingaffixed to said first surface of said wing portion between said lateraledge, and said first retention lip; and a retention gap formed betweensaid first retention lip and said second retention lip, wherein saidremovably attachable comfort wing is removably attached to one of saidtop portion and said bottom portion of said sideshield.
 50. Theremovably attachable comfort wing recited in claim 49 above, whereinsaid first retention lip further comprises: a plurality of reliefridges, said plurality of relief ridges being formed in an edge of saidfirst retention lip opposite said first retention lip lateral edge. 51.The removably attachable comfort wing recited in claim 50 above, whereinsaid second retention lip further comprises: a second plurality ofrelief ridges, said second plurality of relief ridges being formed in anedge of said second retention lip opposite said second retention liplateral edge.
 52. The removably attachable comfort wing recited in claim49, wherein the selectively releasable coupling affixed to said wingportion, further comprises: an adhesive, said adhesive applied on asurface of one of said first retention lip and said second retentionlip, said surface oriented toward said retention gap.
 53. A removablyattachable comfort wing for use with a sideshield employed for use withan eyeglass frame having a pair of spaced eyeglass lens holders, saidsideshield having a generally arcuate-shaped shield member comprising atleast a top portion and a bottom portion, each of said top portion andsaid bottom portion having an inner surface and an outer surface, saidtop portion and said bottom portion each being defined by facial featureapproximation contour, wherein a facial feature approximation contour ofsaid top portion approximates a facial contour of at least a portion ofone of a wearers upper eye orbit and lower forehead, while a facialfeature approximation contour of said bottom portion approximates afacial contour of at least a portion of one of a wearer's lower eyeorbit and upper cheek, said removably attachable comfort wingcomprising: a selectively releasable coupling for removably attachingthe comfort wing to one of the top portion and the bottom portion of asideshield; and a wing portion affixed to said selectively releasablecoupling, said wing portion comprises a first surface and a secondsurface, and further comprise a first lateral edge and a second lateraledge, the first and the second lateral edges define the boundaries ofthe first and the second surfaces, wherein at least one of the firstsurface and the second surface being affixed to said selectivelyreleasable coupling proximate to the second lateral edge, and each ofsaid first lateral edge and said second lateral edge forming a concavecontour and each of said first lateral edge and said second lateral edgeforming a convex contour.
 54. The removably attachable comfort wingrecited in claim 53, wherein the selectively releasable coupling affixedto said wing portion, further comprises: an adhesive agent.
 55. Theremovably attachable comfort wing recited in claim 53 above, whereinsaid one of said top portion and said bottom portion being on one of aleft sideshield and a right sideshield.
 56. The removably attachablecomfort wing recited in claim 53 above, said removably attachablecomfort wing being flexible for conforming to said one of said topportion and said bottom portion.
 57. The removably attachable comfortwing recited in claim 30 above, wherein a lateral length being greaterthan a length of said one of said top portion and said bottom portion,whereby said lateral length of said removably attachable comfort wing istrimmed to the length of said one of said top portion and said bottomportion.
 58. The removably attachable comfort wing recited in claim 30above further comprises: a comfort pad, said comfort pad affixed to saidinner surface of said removably attachable comfort wing.
 59. Theremovably attachable comfort wing recited in claim 58 above, whereinsaid comfort pad further comprises: a solid core.
 60. The removablyattachable comfort wing recited in claim 59 above, wherein said comfortpad further comprises: a bladder, said bladder holding a viscose fluid.61. The removably attachable comfort wing recited in claim 59 above,wherein said comfort pad further comprises: a U-shaped cross-section,wherein said comfort pad cooperates with an outer surface and an innersurface of said comfort wing.
 62. The removably attachable comfort wingrecited in claim 59 above further comprises: an adhesive interspersedbetween the said comfort pad and said inner surface of said comfortwing.
 63. The removably attachable comfort wing recited in claim 59above, wherein said comfort pad being shaped to cooperate with any of anupper removably attachable comfort wing for use with a left eye, anupper removably attachable comfort wing for use with a right eye, alower removably attachable comfort wing for use with a left eye, and alower removably attachable comfort wing for use with a right eye. 64.The removably attachable comfort wing recited in claim 53 above, whereina removably attachable comfort pad being shaped to cooperate with anytwo of an upper removably attachable comfort wing for use with a lefteye, an upper removably attachable comfort wing for use with a righteye, a lower removably attachable comfort wing for use with a left eye,and a lower removably attachable comfort wing for use with a right eye.65. The removably attachable comfort wing recited in claim 53 above,wherein said comfort pad being shaped to cooperate with any one of anupper removably attachable comfort wing for use with a left eye, anupper removably attachable comfort wing for use with a right eye, alower removably attachable comfort wing for use with a left eye, and alower removably attachable comfort wing for use with a right eye. 66.The removably attachable comfort wing recited in claim 53 above, whereinthe sideshield being adaptable for use on safety glasses.
 67. Theremovably attachable comfort wing recited in claim 53 above, wherein thesideshield being adaptable for use on safety goggles.
 68. The removablyattachable comfort wing recited in claim 53 above, wherein thesideshield being affixed to corrective glasses.
 69. The removablyattachable comfort wing recited in claim 53 above, wherein thesideshield being affixed to sunglasses.
 70. The removably attachablecomfort wing recited in claim 53 above, wherein said removablyattachable comfort wing having a width greater than two millimeters. 71.The removably attachable comfort wing recited in claim 53 above, whereinsaid removably attachable comfort wing formed from a resilient class ofpolycarbonate materials.
 72. The removably attachable comfort wingrecited in claim 53 above, wherein the selectively releasable couplingfurther comprises: a first retention lip, said first retention liphaving a first retention lip lateral edge, said first retention liplateral edge being affixed to said first surface of said wing portion; asecond retention lip, said second retention lip having a secondretention lip lateral edge, said second retention lip lateral edge beingaffixed to said first surface of said wing portion between said lateraledge, and said first retention lip; and a retention gap formed betweensaid first retention lip and said second retention lip, wherein saidremovably attachable comfort wing is removably attached to one of saidtop portion and said bottom portion of said sideshield.
 73. Theremovably attachable comfort wing recited in claim 49 above, whereinsaid first retention lip further comprises: a plurality of reliefridges, said plurality of relief ridges being formed in an edge of saidfirst retention lip opposite said first retention lip lateral edge. 74.The removably attachable comfort wing recited in claim 50 above, whereinsaid second retention lip further comprises: a second plurality ofrelief ridges, said second plurality of relief ridges being formed in anedge of said second retention lip opposite said second retention liplateral edge.
 75. The removably attachable comfort wing recited in claim49, wherein the selectively releasable coupling affixed to said wingportion, further comprises: an adhesive, said adhesive applied on asurface of one of said first retention lip gap.